Puerto Rico - Working conditions

The largest obstacles to better working conditions in Puerto Rico are
overcrowding, its high unemployment rate of 12.5 percent (1999 est.),
and its high drop-out rate. Since Operation Bootstrap in the 1950s, the
government has consistently worked to reduce unemployment. Working
conditions in Puerto Rico are better than most in Latin America, largely
due to its U.S. commonwealth status. U.S. labor laws, including those
regulating minimum wages and workplace safety, apply to Puerto Rico and
protect workers from abuse. Four major labor unions, with 115,000
members, protect workers' interests. The largest of them is the
General Confederation of Puerto Rican Workers, with 35,000 members.

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